Fastener for shoe-uppers.



W. E. ELLIS. FASTENER FOR SHOE UPPERS.

11110111011 FILED 11111211, 1009.

988,1322. I Patented Apr'.4, 1911.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WARREN. E. ELLIS, OF HAVERHILL, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T0 ELLIS LAGER COMPANY, OF HAVERHILL, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

FASTENER FOR SHOE-UPPERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 11, 1909.

To a'll whom it mag woman:

Be it known that I, WQRREN E. ELLIS, a citizenof the United States, and a resident of-Haverhill, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful= Improvements in Fasteners for Shoe-Uppers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to devices for securing together the eyeleted edges of the uppers of lace shoes while they are being lasted, and is intendedto-provide a simple and practical device of this character which can be readily adjusted to correspond with different spacing of eyelets in-the shoes in connection with which it is to be used.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a top plan view of a fastening device made in accordance with my invention, as preferably constructed; and Fig. 2is atransverse sectional view through a portion of a shoe upper having the device shown in Fig. 1 applied thereto, the device itself being shown in end elevation.

Briefly described, my fastening device consists of two or more transversely-extending eyelet-connecting tongues provided at or near their ends with eyelet-engaging 'means and connected between the latter in such manner that the distance between the several tongues can be adjusted to correspond with the spacing of the eyelets in a given shoe upper without interfering with the operation of the eyelet-engaging means on said tongues. The fastening device illustrated in the drawing has three such eyeletconnecting tongues 2, each tongue being provided at its opposite end portions with suitable eyelet-engaging means which may be of any suitable construction but preferably consist of upwardly-extending shoulders 3 which merge at their up or ends into outwardly-projecting free en portions 4, as set forth in U. S. Letters Patent No. 825,710, granted on the 10th day of July, 1906. The adjustable connection between the adjacent tongues 2 is referably provided by constructin the astening device from a single piece 0 spring wire which is doubled to form the shouldered end portions of the tongues 2 and extends in a slanting direction from each tongue to the next adjacent tongue between the eyelet-engaging means formed thereon, as shown: in Fig. 1. As thus constructed the elasticity of the Wire normally maintains the tongues 2 at the minimum distance apart, in which positioning portions 5 and in a slight separation of the doubled portions of the tongues. This separation is greatest at the ends of said slanting portions 5 and is practically nothlng at the terminals of said doubled portions, so that the capacity of the latter to enter the eyelets is not affected.

One of the end portions 6 of the wire from which the fastener is made is preferably caused to extend across the tongues 2 at the central portions thereof, and to project a short distance beyond the uppermost tongue, and the other end portion of the wire is bent around said portion 6 and forms an eye 7 which is capable of sliding loosely thereon as the fastener is adjusted, thereby rendering the fastener somewhat stiffer and less likely to excessive or permanent deformation. The free end of the portion 6 is formed into a loop 8 to serve as a stop to limit the lateral separation of the tongues.

2, which may be adjusted to any desired extent Within the limit thus provided, thus rendering it unnecessary for the shoe manufacturer to provide himself with an equipment of fasteners to correspond with each different spacing of the eyelets in the shoes which he makes.

Fig. 2 shows the fastener in place in the eyelets 9 of a shoe upper 10, the insertion and removal of the fastener being accomplished as set forth in the Letters Patent above referred to.

The fastener as a whole is very flexible in the direction of the profile of the last, and the individual tongues are also flexible in a transverse direction, so that the fastener is self-conforming to lasts of different contours, as will be readily understood.

I claim as my invention:

1. A detachable fastener for shoe uppers comprising a plurality of transversely-extending, eyelet-connecting tongues provided respectively with eyelet-engaging means, elastic connections between adjacent tongues to permit variations in the distance between them, and means for limiting the separation of the tongues from one another.

2. A detachable fastener for shoe uppers comprising a plurality of transversely-ex tending, eyelet-connecting tongues provided respectively with eyelet-engaging means, and adjustably connected between said eyelet-engaging means to permit variations in the distance between adjacent tongues, and a guide extending across the several tongues about midway of the length of the latter and providing astop to limit the separation of the tongues from one another.

3. A detachable fastener for shoe uppers constructed from a single piece of spring wire and comprising a plurality of transversely-extending, eyelet-engaging tongues and elastic connections between adjacent tongues to permit variations in the distance between them, one of the end portions of the wire being extended across the several tongues and serving as a guide for the same during adjustment thereof.

4. A detachable fastener for shoe uppers constructed from a single piece of spring wire and comprising a plurality of transversely-extending, eyelet-connecting tongues provided with eyelet-engaging means and each formed at its ends from doubled portions of the wire and connected to the adjacent tongue or tongues by slanting portions of the wire, one of the end portions of said Wire being extended across the several tongues and bent at its end to form a stop, and the other end portion of said wire being formed into an eye which is adapted to slide on said first-mentioned end portion,

substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this tenth day of June,

1909. WARREN E. ELLIS. Witnesses:

E. D. OHAnwrcK, J OSEPI-I T. BRENNAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained. for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

